VOTE NOW: Take our coronavirus survey on the big issues affecting you

Since the start of the pandemic earlier this year, more than 40,000 British people have lost their lives while hospital admissions for Covid-19 patients have soared past 220,000.

The death toll includes more than 2,000 people in the West Midlands, which remains a national hotspot for the disease with an average of around 280 deaths per 100,000.

We have compiled a wide-ranging survey asking for your views on the big issues affecting you, your family, your health, your lifestyle and your jobs.

Take our survey here:

Across our region, thousands of businesses and schools have closed their doors, while people have had to get used to a new normal in which they are detached from family and friends.

The Government has been criticised in some quarters for its handling of the pandemic, with questions raised over PPE provisions, the sky high death rate in care homes and whether lockdown measures were instigated soon enough.

It has also battled to keep the country’s economy afloat by paying the wages of millions of workers through a furlough scheme – which has now been extended by four months – and offering grants and loans to tens of thousands of businesses.

We want your take on how ministers have dealt with the crisis up to now. Are the instructions clear or do you feel confused by the change from “stay home” to “stay alert”?

The change has been brought in as part of a three-step plan to ease the country out of lockdown, but do you support moves to get more people into the workplace, or is it too early for this to be considered? More schools set to reopen in June and we want to know if you think this is the right decision.

We are also looking to gauge how people have dealt with the lockdown on a personal level. Have you breached the rules, and do you think your mental health has suffered over the last couple of months?

Another burning issue is the return of live sporting events, with Premier League bosses desperate to resume the season as soon as possible.

The Government appears to have given the green light for ‘Project Restart’ to commence in June with games taking place behind closed doors, although exactly how this happens is still up in the air. Star players, club doctors and the top police official in the West Midlands have all expressed safety concerns over the premature return of the game, but how do you feel about it?

Wolves, Villa and Albion all still have plenty to play for, but should safety come first?

Entries will close at midnight on Thursday.